London, Oct 01: Chelsea are hoping to keep their unbeaten run as they get ready to face Turkish champions Besikstas on Wednesday (September 30) in the Champions League.
Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri has been able to buy since Roman Abramovich arrived with his millions last July, helping the London side to second place in the English premier league and to a win in their first Champions League match -- 1-0 at Sparta Prague. French midfielder Emmanuel Petit is the only doubt after picking up a knock on the knee. England full back John Terry has shrugged off a calf injury sustained during training. French international duo William Gallas, the unlikely scorer in Prague a fortnight ago, and Marcel Desailly are likely to hold the fort at the back as they did against Aston Villa last Saturday. History is on their side against Besiktas, who have won only three of their 13 Champions League matches and none of the six away ties. Chelsea, who have won eight of their last nine gamesand lost only once in their 40 European home games -- to Lazio in March 2000. Lazio are drawn in this season's Champions League Group G alongside Chelsea and Besiktas, who lost 2-0 at home to them two weeks ago. "Besiktas are a strong team," Ranieri told reporters on Tuesday (September 30) in London. The manager mentioned their opponents have lost only one match this season and that was to Lazio -- and the Italian goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi was the best man on the pitch that night.


Ranieri has a wealth of players with European experience to choose from and, though he has said he wants to rotate players to keep them fresh, could yet include Dutch striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, their top scorer this season and the matchwinner in their last Premier League match - a 1-0 victory on Saturday (217) over Aston Villa.


Midfielder Frank Lampard admitted he improved his defensive skills under Ranieri and said that all players have to accept the rotation system introduced to accomodate so many acquisitions.


Lampard has been heavily involved in the Premier League campaign but came only as a substitute in Chelsea's openining Champions League victory against Sparta Prague.


The 25 year-old Englishman and the 52 year-old Italian were expecting a peaceful tie despite the furore England's final European Championship qualifying tie against Turkey on Saturday, October 11.


"I don't think of the match in the same way as the Turkey game. The fans are very welcome," Lampard said.


Officials have banned England fans after trouble between rival supporters at the home fixture earlier this year but Ranieri said the atmosphere among Turkish supporters is good

"I went to watch Besiktas last Sunday and many fans recognised me and took photos. They were very hospitable," he said.


Chelsea captain Marcel Desailly believes the London club have the players and the desire to win the Champions League, but the squad need time to learn how to play together.


"Of course we are better equipped now. We have bought a lot of players," the towering French defender said after training.

Desailly, who turned 35 this month, knows what it takes to win the competition, having lifted the trophy with both Marseille and AC Milan in the 1990s. He said the will to win in the Chelsea dressing room, where some $180 million US dollars of spending has added a dozen new players this season, was the same as he had experienced in Milan nearly 10 years ago.


Besiktas playmaker Sergen Yalcin is not expected to start despite recovering from injury to play in their 5-0 win over Trabzonspor in Istanbul at the weekend.


An injury in Monday (September 29) training to Sinan Kaloglu may further narrow coach Mircea Lucescu's options in midfield for the Turkish first division leaders.


Besiktas have lost all six of their away Champions League games.


Probable teams: Chelsea: 23-Carlo Cudicini; 15-Mario Melchiot, 6-Marcel Desailly, 13-William Gallas, 18-Wayne Bridge; 20-Juan Sebastian Veron; 4-Claude Makelele; 8-Frank Lampard; 11-Damien Duff; 7-Adrian Mutu; 21-Hernan Crespo Besiktas: 1-Oscar Cordoba; 30-Zago, 5-Ronaldo Guiaro, 4-Ahmet Yildirim, 3-Tayfur Havutcu; 20-Federico Giunti, 17-Kaan Dobra, 19-Ibrahim Uzulmez, 9-Daniel Pancu; 26-Ilhan Mansiz, 67-Metin Tumer


Statbox for Chelsea (England) v Besiktas (Turkey) Wednesday, Oct 1, KO 1845 GMT, Stamford Bridge. Champions League group G Head-to-head record: none


Chelsea: Last six European home matches: WWWDWW Last home defeat: 1-2 v Lazio, CL 22/3/00 (six matches since - won 5, drew 1) Leading CL scorer in current squad: Hernan Crespo 13 (2 for Parma, 2 for Lazio, 9 for Inter Milan) Leading European scorer for Chelsea in squad: Eidur Gudjohnsen 4 All-time leading scorer: Peter Osgood 16 Coach: Claudio Ranieri Record v Turkish clubs: P2 W2 D0 L0 F6 A0 Home to Turkish clubs: P1 W1 D0 L0 F1 A0

Besiktas: Last six European away matches: LWDDLL Last away win: 5-0 v Sarajevo, UEFA Cup 3/10/02 Leading CL scorer in current squad: Ahmet Dursun 2 Leading European scorer for Besiktas in squad: Ahmet 5 All-time leading scorer: Oktay Derelioglu 14 Coach: Mircea Lucescu Record v English clubs: P2 W0 D1 L1 F0 A6 Away to English clubs: P1 W0 D0 L1 F0 A6

Group G standings: P W D L F A Pts Lazio 1 1 0 0 2 0 3 Chelsea 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 Sparta Prague 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 Besiktas 1 0 0 1 0 2 0


Results so far Sept 16 Sparta Prague 0 Chelsea 1 Sept 16 Besiktas 0 Lazio 2

Remaining fixtures Oct 1 Lazio v Sparta Prague Oct 1 Chelsea v Besiktas Oct 22 Chelsea v Lazio Oct 22 Sparta Prague v Besiktas Nov 4 Lazio v Chelsea Nov 4 Besiktas v Sparta Prague Nov 26 Chelsea v Sparta Prague Nov 26 Lazio v Besiktas Dec 9 Sparta Prague v Lazio Dec 9 Besiktas v Chelsea


Bureau Report